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編者序
《星雲說喻 中英對照版》，是一套引人入勝的六冊選集，共收編了一百二十篇由敬愛的星雲大師講說、以六度波羅蜜為主題的故事。這些故事最初收錄在《星雲說喻》，大師喜歡在演講中穿插生動有趣的故事，以傳遞人間佛教思想與實踐的精髓。
2019年，我們首次將《星雲說喻》的內容翻譯成有聲故事書，並於Anchor及各大播客平台推出「菩提心燈」系列故事 (Bodhi Light Tales Podcast) 。這些年，我們一直期待著將這些故事結集成冊，如今因緣條件具足，並以中英雙語圖書的形式呈現。為了讓來自各年齡層、宗教、信仰，以及文化的讀者皆能與故事產生共鳴，我們在精簡扼要的原文基礎上發揮想像，增添了一些原文故事沒有的情節。也就是說，這套故事書中的英文故事是經過編譯的創作，非中文的直譯對照。編譯的幾項原則要點說明如下：
首先是對故事人物的背景資訊加以補充，如：名字、所從事行業，及個性等。我們蒐集文獻和查證史料，以確保人物的歷史背景正確無誤。希望藉由建構鮮明的人物特性，能帶給讀者更多親和力，也鼓勵讀者進一步探索喜愛的角色。
第二，調整文化差異的部分。例如，有一篇以「筷子」為特寫的故事，在編譯成英文時，我們將它改成「叉子」；再如，古代用來收納貴重物品的「錦囊」，在英文故事中則改以「信封」來呈現。以上改編目的，是為了加強故事元素與西方讀者日常生活之間的經驗連結。
第三，提綱挈領出每篇故事的主旨和寓意，讓讀者更容易把握住故事所要傳達的信息，引導省思。同時，也探討人們在現當代可能面臨的挑戰，幫助讀者連結所學，實際應用在日常生活之中。
故事結束，為每篇故事搭配一則精選「星雲大師法語」，作為總結故事核心寓意的智慧錦囊。「星雲大師法語」原是大師依據自己的人生經歷寫下的鼓勵和箴言，期望藉此帶給大家正念，在人生迷茫處作一盞指引方向的明燈。
學佛與否，佛性本自具足。無論是兒童還是成人，我們都有能力讓自己和周遭的世界變得更好、更正向。希望這套故事書能啟迪心性，讓各個年齡層的讀者在邁向自我覺醒的生命旅程中，充滿能量、勇氣和慈悲。
Bodhi Light Tales is a captivating 6-volume collection of stories focused on the Six Paramitas, narrated by the revered Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Originally published in Chinese as Xingyun shuoyu (星雲說喻), these Buddhist Tales by Venerable Master Hsing Yun emerged from his enlightening talks and lectures on Humanistic Buddhism. In 2019, we took the initiative to adapt these stories into English as an ongoing audiobook series for the Bodhi Light Tales Anchor Podcast channel. However, our ultimate vision has always been to present them in a book format. As the original stories were concise and lacked additional details, the English adaptations were intentionally modified from the Chinese. In essence, the English tales are not direct translations of their original Chinese counterparts. To ensure that readers of all ages, faiths, beliefs, and cultures can connect with these stories, we employed several key approaches during the transition from Chinese to English, which we will elaborate on below.
To make the main characters more relatable, we added background information such as their names, occupations, and personalities. Thorough research was conducted to maintain historical and factual accuracy. We hope this additional information will help readers delve deeper into their favorite characters and even encourage further exploration.
Furthermore, we made certain adaptations to account for cultural differences. For instance, in one of the stories, using chopsticks was originally featured, but we replaced it with forks in the English version to resonate with English-speaking readers. Similarly, silk brocade bags known as “jin nang” (錦囊) in the original tales were transformed into envelopes. These adjustments were made to ensure that the stories remain relatable to English readers.
Each tale concludes with a summary of its morals, providing readers with a clear understanding of the story’s meaning and key lessons. These summaries highlight challenges people face in today's world and offer practical applications for daily life.
Additionally, we included Dharma Words from Venerable Master Hsing Yun at the end of each story, offering readers a final nugget of wisdom to take away. These quotes were carefully selected based on their relevance to the moral of each story. Venerable Master Hsing Yun originally shared these words of encouragement and advice based on his life experiences, aiming to inspire mindfulness and guide individuals in times of uncertainty.
Remember, Buddha-nature resides within all of us, regardless of whether we practice Buddhism or not. Both children and adults have the power to better themselves and positively impact the world around them. Our sincere hope is that these stories will inspire people of all ages, instilling in them a sense of inspiration, courage, and compassion. May this collection serve as a source of inspiration as you navigate through life’s journey toward self-awakening!
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